Kumasi — Five collectors of rubber waste (sachet water, etc) are to benefit from a €15,000.00 offer to enable them expand their businesses under the European Union funded waste management services project in the Kumasi Metropolis.
Each of the five would receive an amount of €3,000.00 to employ others for the collection business to better their living standards.
It falls under the Holistic Reinforcement For Sustainable Development (HORESD) project involving three local administrations-Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta (MANRA), Spain, and the Chamber of Praia, Cape Verde.
Mr Joshua Tettey-Nortey, local coordinator of the project, who mentioned these, said the five would be selected from a 20-member group who would be taken through a special orientation course in waste collection.
He said the development was expected to strengthen Kumasi's capacity to provide public services, giving priority to an integrated management system of solid urban waste to boost the circular economy in Kumasi.
He was speaking at a public forum of the HORESD project under the theme, "LocaliSation of Sustainable Development Goals-Fostering Community Ownership and Engendering Local Leadership in the Achievement of Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) Indicators".
It was aimed at creating a platform for citizens to be abreast of SDGs, engage city authorities on problems confronting their communities and to fashion out solutions that would rally local support for the achievement of the indicators and to improve living standards.
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Present at the forum included officials of the partners from Spain and Cape Verde and a section of local citizens. The European Union is funding the project with a € 2.5 million.
As part of the project, the European Union would provide the KMA with seven compactor trucks, thousands of containers, pilot recycle and composting plants as well as transfer of technical know-how and managing source-separate waste.
Chief Executive of the KMA, Samuel Pyne, urged all and sundry to support the project to boost the circular economy of the metropolis.
He was full of hope that Kumasi would reclaim its glory owing to the steady progress the Assembly was making in relation to the implementation of the HORESD project.
Mr. Pyne stressed the Assembly's determination to achieve the deliverables to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of Kumasi.
Mr. Victor Constantino and Mr. Txema Palazon, Mayor of Praia, Cape Verde and President of Manra, Spain, respectively, shared their experiences in waste sorted management and stressed their readiness to transfer the know-how make the project in Kumasi a great success.
The 30 months project, which officially commenced on January 1, 2022, would raise awareness throughout the general population and strengthen the local authorities of Kumasi for the implementation of the National Plan for Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Waste in Ghana.
